As the class is nearing to an end, I have a few things yet to accomplish before I am complete with my portfolio and research project. I am going to create a To Do list so that I can cross these items out as I complete them.

1. Create an outline for the research project. This outline of how I want to present the ideas of what I am have learned in my research project will help me to determine if I should do a documentary or a paper. Unfortunately I am still going back and forth between which one I'd like to do. The video may be more difficult because I do not have the proper movie editing program available to me at home to easily get it done. Right now I am leaning more towards the paper.
2. Gather items for the portfolio, such as writing sample, cover letter, resume, etc. Start  posting them onto Weebly.
3. Create the items that I need for the portfolio, such as a statement of goals, and reflective narrative. It makes me feel less stress that I do not have to complete the reflective narrative until April 10th. 
4. I need to improve my Weebly site to make it more organized, such as adding pages for the reflective project and the portfolio. 
5. Create a speech outline for the presentations to be presented not next week but the following week. This way I have a cheat sheet for when I am presenting and I will be prepared by already knowing what I am going to say. 

I am glad that I was able to complete work over spring break such as the annotated bibliography and the conduct the interview. I am content that I am moving at a good pace for completing the portfolio and the project.

Works Cited

Dessinger, Daniel. "5 Steps to Become a Copywriter | CultureFeast." 5 Steps to Become a Copywriter | CultureFeast. CultureFeast, 22 May 2007. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www.culturefeast.com/5-steps-to-become-a-copywriter/>.
What sets this article apart from others is that it gives 5 strong facets to becoming a copy writer that doesn’t just explain the typical career route. Instead it focuses on the mental and goal oriented aspects one needs to be successful towards gaining a career in copy writing. The comments at the bottom of the article help provide feedback from other users who are also interested in becoming a copy writer. The author Daniel Dessinger presents an updated honest brief at the end of the article which gives the piece reliability. Not being egotistical, networking much, and developing a specialty are a few of the essential points Dessinger states an ideal copy writer should have.

Kimmie. "How to Write a Query Letter - Writing.Com." (2004). The Online Community for Writers. 21x20 Media, Inc. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/844651-How-to-Write-a-Query-Letter>.
This web page gives a step by step synopsis on how to write a query letter. The main focus of the article focuses on the Do's and Don'ts of what one should do when attempting to write the query letter from the beginning to the end. The author, Ms. Kimmie, gives her own useful tips and advice by providing explanations of a good example and a bad example of a query letter. The examples help one to better understand what makes a perfect query letter.

Kuraoka, John. "How to Become an Advertising Copywriter." John Kuraoka, Freelance Advertising Copywriter. John Kuraoka. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www.kuraoka.com/how-to-become-an-advertising-copywriter.html#portfolio>.
John Kuroaka publishes his own insider’s experience as a copywriter on his own home made website. Through sharing his own career journey on the internet he teaches other aspiring copywriters how to achieve their own career goal. The layout of the website contains head lines with paragraphs explaining tips, tricks, and honest personal advice on what steps to take to become a copywriter. Pages in the site also show examples provided as well as Kuroaka's own work. This simple site which is easy to read will make you feel like being a copywriter is implausible, and that it can be accomplished without having a degree in advertising. Interestingly enough, Kuoaka created the world’s first free online mentorship program for aspiring advertising copywriters.

Kuther, Tara. "All About the Graduate Admissions Essay." About.com Graduate School. The New York Times Co. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://gradschool.about.com/od/essaywriting/All_About_the_Graduate_Admissions_Essay.htm>.
This website provides a series of links which emphasize on various ways to achieve writing the personal statement. Each link leads to an article written by Tara Kuther, a college professor and author with a PhD who is a guide for About.com. Here you will easily find specific answers for your basic questions about writing the personal statement. The articles Include informative information about statements as well as advice, such as what the statement is, how to write, it, how to avoid writer’s block, and how to write in the first person.

"Richard Lehmann." Telephone interview. 12 Mar. 2012.
Richard Lehmann from West Caldwell, NJ is an experienced copywriter who took the time to answers my questions about the copy writing career. Lehmann provided his own insight to what a copy writer does, what salary they make, and what he thinks is good and bad about the profession. He currently works as creative director for an advertising and public relations agency called Fiore Associates.

"Tanya Ringo." Personal interview. 2 Mar. 2012.
An audio recording of Tanya Ringo explains the story of a child who did not know she was adopted until the age of 25 years old. Currently working in retail management residing in Browns Mills, New Jersey, Tanya continues to search for her family relatives in order to regain a lost relationship with them. Her adoption story is unique because her parents were exactly the same ethnicity as she is, which is why she never knew she was adopted. Tanya's biography and struggle to find her biological relatives would make a great story to be pitched to an editor of a magazine.

Along with the reflective Narrative, statement of goals, curriculum vitae and writing samples required to be in the portfolio, I would like to include a personal statement for graduate school and a query letter to a publisher.

The personal statement would give me the push I need to write one since I need to write one anyway to apply to graduate schools. I have not started on one yet and I have never written one before so this will help me to obtain feedback to improve it if needed.

While I am in graduate school, I plan on trying to freelance on the side. I have an idea in mind already for pitching a story to a magazine editor or company that I would really love to test out in creating a query letter about it. It is about a co-worker who revealed to me that she is adopted. Her parents never told her she was adopted and she found out by accident at the age of 25. She still has not found her biological relatives and continues searching for them. I think she would be a great story because her case is uncommon compared to other adopted people. I look forward to writing a query letter for her story!

Ten Questions for Professor Mangini:

1. How did you get published for the first time?
2. Did you free lance write, become a staff writer, or both?
3. What are ways for writing students to gain enough experience so that when they apply for jobs, they have at least 3-5 years of experience right off the bat?
4. What are your tips for job searching as a writer and where to look?
5. Do you think its possible for a writer to work on more than one objective as a writer, focusing on more than one accomplishment all at one time? (such as writing a novel, free lancing articles on the side, while working as a staff writer full time all at once for example)
6. How much should free lance writers charge for their work? What would be a reasonable price, or does the company decide how much they will pay you?
7. Which is your favorite to write for since you have written for both - magazines or newspapers?Why?
8. It seems that you wrote for a variety of subjects and genres. Do you think writers can find success writing for any type of subject even if they don't know much about it? (sports, food, local news etc.)
9. I see that you worked as a copywriter back in 2003. What was that like? Did you enjoy it?
10. Later on in life, if a writer decided he or she would like to teach their profession, is a degree in teaching necessarily required? Why or why not?
    

ABSTRACT (Draft):
My inspirations to achieve a Master's degree in copywriting stem from my likeness to be creative with writing. Looking at writing as an art, I think my ability to play with words and invent phrases will allow me to find success as a copywriter. In the project, I aim to discover the pros and cons of working as a copywriter. In my research, I seek to discover if copywriters find better work freelancing or as a hired salary for an advertising company. Targeted sources for conducting my research has developed from surfing the internet for key information, and through interviewing a professional copywriter already flourishing in the field.   

One credit less of graduating with my bachelors in Writing Arts, I am impatient to start my new beginning of nabbing that perfect writing job to help me live happily ever after. This would mean putting off the possibility of going for a Master's degree. Recently my decision to obtain my master's immediately after graduating has been tossing back and forth like raging waters in the Congo rapids.

If I did go to graduate school right away I'd like to get the degree in copy writing. I initially thought of going to a large, fancier college such as New York University. However, due to finance decisions I also considered staying at Rowan University to get my Master's.

I think going for the Master's degree right away will give me time to do more internships while developing more knowledge of the advertising industry. I think searching for my dream job and living on my own may have to take a rain check in the mean time. For now, it dangles in the Congo rapids from a life raft stuck on a tree branch until help arrives.

Some of my accomplishments that stand out from the survey homework are:

• GPA of 3.7
• Staff Writer for college newspaper
• obtained a scholarship from CUPSA
• completed an internship in Brooklyn for Dept. of Parks and Recreation 
  
• Member of Golden Key Honor Society

I think these accomplishments would be some to focus on when creating my curriculum vitae.

Careers in Writing Arts Self Evaluation

1.       List your personal strengths and weaknesses (responsible, procrastinator, creative, etc.).
weaknesses: fear of the white page, procrastination, loss for motivation and inspiration, thinking people won't read it anyway
strengths: passionate, determined, ambitious, imaginative, brave

2.      List important or related courses you have taken.
   Online Journalism 1
   Online Journalism 2
   Publication Industry
   Magazine Article Writing
   Mass Media and Influences
   News Reporting 1

3.      What is your major and specialization? What is your overall cumulative GPA? In your major? How many credits have you taken in your major?
My major in Writing Arts with a minor in journalism. My GPA is 3.7. I currently have 119 credits in my major.

4.      Do you have a minor or coordinate major? Explain.
   My main major is Writing Arts but I concentrated so much on journalism that I was able to obtain the minor in journalism since I had taken so many journalism classes.
5.      List hobbies, activities, interests, especially those related to your major.
   Three of my main hobbies are dancing, modeling and the night life scene. They aren't really related to my major but I love writing about them...I also wrote features for The Whit for two years and really enjoyed it. Maintaining my blogs that focus on a specific beat is also a hobby of mine.

6.      List all the offices you have held in clubs or writing associations.
Staff Writer for The Whit, Rowan University's college newspaper.

7.      Do you hold any special licenses?
No

8.      List special skills. Have you served in the military? Have you ever published? What computer programs are you skilled in?
I can create online media content, including interactive user content. This includes pod casts, news videos, audio slideshows, and more. I am well versed in Microsoft Word, Quark Xpress, and social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook.

9.      List the types of writing you do the most.  
I mostly have written feature news articles or soft news. On the side I write poetry and blog posts.

10.   List awards, honors, academic or otherwise.
 I am a member of the Golden Key Honor Society at Rowan.

11.    List special programs in which you have participated.
 None

12.   List charity work.
  Have been a member of the Folk Song Society for a decade and volunteer every year during August at the annual Philadelphia Folk Festival in Schwenksville, Pa.

13.   List any scholarships you have received.
I received one scholarship for $500 my freshman year from CUPSA (Campus University Public Safety Association) for the essay I wrote and entry form required to apply.

14.   List key projects and roles you have played in them.
A the only main projects I have accomplished are those that were assignments through courses taken at Rowan. I served as a writer, designer, and editor in most of the projects, which included a publication layout design portfolio, a white paper about how Twitter uses collaboration in a network, and a news video about the NJ symbol, the brook trout.

15.    List all jobs you have had (dates, length if employment, promotions, responsibilities, title, etc. Note: it’s okay to say “Summer 2010” and not list specific dates.

Staff Writer/Reporter –The Whit, Glassboro, NJ                               2010-2012

·     Write, edit, rewrite, and proofread articles for Glassboro’s college newspaper, a weekly    publication targeting activities at Rowan University.

·     Work with editorial staff to research, report, obtain story ideas, organize and refine articles.

·     Assist with visuals such as photography, graphs, illustrations, etc.

Correspondence Liaison – Department of Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn, NY       -May '11 - Aug '11

·     Gained skills in organization, research and writing by working with the Borough Commissioner to respond to the public via letter, email, or phone to maintain positive relationship with the New York City community. 

·     Informed the Borough Commissioner about issues with the parks and recreation facilities concerning the public.

·     Performed duties of printing, mailing, answering the telephone, emailing, drafting, editing, scanning, photo-copying, and contacting personnel.

·     Worked with staff to perform special events by means of community outreach.

  Circulation Desk – Burlington County College TEC Library, Mount Laurel, NJ       Sept ‘07 – Nov ‘09

·     Tasks included processing the magazines, shelving books, locating books, checking in and out borrowed materials, and working the cash register for printing payments.

Gained skills in organization, and data entry. 

Sales Associate -Fashion Bug, Browns Mills       Sept ’10 - Present

Cashier -Goodwill Industries, Lumberton, Rt. 38     Sept ‘07 – Oct ‘09

16.    Describe the kinds of employment you seek (rank order of your top three job goals)

1. staff writer for a magazine or feature section of a news company
2. copy writer for print advertisements
3. journalist that travels to report for news company

17.    List three people who can recommend you and how you have been associated with them.
Kevin E. Jeffrey - Brooklyn Commissioner for NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation
I interned for the dept working as his correspondence Liaison for an entire summer.
Kristina Pritchett - managing editor for The Whit
I worked for her for the entire two years I wrote for The Whit. She has seen much of my work and edited it.
Mark Berkey-Gerard - Online Journalism Professor at Rowan
I have been his student twice for both online journalism courses.

I am pretty sure I can't just break into the world of communications by bursting the door of careers open into a bazillion pieces of wood with one karate kick. But I do know that the more I can accomplish my goals, the closer I am to living my dream of becoming a writer.

I expect to obtain my Bachelor's Degree and try to get a writing job with it. I can see myself working as a staff writer for a large magazine company in New York City, or inventing slogans for commercials and print advertisements. I'd like to be doing something creative with my writing, always bringing in something new and fresh to the page. If this really does happen for me I would live my days happily, until I became bored and needed a change.

Looking even further ahead, I could get my Master's Degree and then  PhD in writing. I would be satisfied as a writer as long as I can communicate or teach something new to society. I want to be good at what I specialize in (writing), and succeed in being best at it. I would continue to to perfect my talent, because there is always more to learn as years go by and time changes the world. Most of all, I just want people to actually read what I write, and enjoy it. I want to move people emotionally.

I love finding out new things and talking to people I've never met and then channeling those experiences into writing. Perhaps I could get a job interviewing celebrities, or travel around the world and live to tell all. Maybe amongst all these jobs I could write a novel and get a book published. I am happy I chose Writing Arts for my major because I feel invincible with it. I could literally go into so many different directions with the knowledge and skills I have gained. At the same time, I feel lost because I don't know which direction to take.

Perhaps all my practice writing and years in college will have helped me gain enough strength and ability to make that one karate kick...

But for now, I'll just pretend impossible doesn't exist.

I work two jobs currently, one is at a hotel, and the other is in retail. I was supposed to graduate back in December last year but my graduation application got rejected because I am missing one credit. This is what has led me to land in this course, Special Topics: Careers in Writing Arts.

I've been writing since I was about four or five years old, but I didn't know I wanted to "grow up" to be a writer until my sophomore year of high school. Before then, I had always wanted to be a  veterinarian because I loved animals. When I realized how good I was at writing, something snapped in my brain that told me I was meant to do this. I guess I loved writing more than I loved animals. Anyway, being a writer is definitely not not an easy job that would make me millions, but I love doing it, and it makes me happy.

My job search for writing jobs has not been going so well. I have come to realize through my own experience that one needs either a Master's degree or something on the resume that must make it stand out among the others, something quirky, odd, or amazing to get the job. I hope this short one credit course will dissolve my skepticism, perhaps like sugar in water spinning in a whirlpool violently by the force of a metal spoon.